2927: SAP's Data Sphere: Redefining AI and Data Management

  Are you ready to explore the future of data and AI? In our upcoming episode of Tech Talks Daily, I am thrilled to welcome Irfan Khan, Chief Product Officer at SAP, to discuss SAP's groundbreaking data and analytics portfolio, particularly the new SAP Data Sphere offering. Irfan brings a wealth of experience and insights, starting from his early interest in technology inspired by his father to his formative computing experiences with the BBC Micro and Amstrad CPC 464. His journey from CTO at Sybase to various sales roles at SAP has given him a unique customer-centric perspective that fuels his innovative approach to data and AI. Our conversation dives deep into the SAP Data Sphere, a revolutionary business virtual data fabric concept that allows for data federation without the need for physical data consolidation. This groundbreaking approach preserves data context and metadata, which are critical for training high-quality generative AI models. Irfan explains how Data Sphere leverages knowledge graphs and vector stores to enable contextual AI capabilities, allowing businesses to detect signals and patterns across disparate data sources for applications like supply chain optimization. One of the standout aspects of our discussion is the emphasis on data quality, lineage, and ethical use, which are paramount for the responsible deployment of generative AI. Irfan shares SAP's commitment to ethical AI, including the formation of an ethical AI committee to vet models before production use, and discusses the measures taken to prevent hallucinations, cultural biases, and maintain data integrity. Irfan also highlights real-world applications of SAP Data Sphere and generative AI, such as detecting early signals of supply chain disruptions and ethically screening candidates for recruitment. These examples showcase how generative AI is enhancing business applications across various industries, driving innovation, and supporting better decision-making. Looking ahead, Irfan paints an exciting picture of the future of data and AI, with rapid innovation from big tech players like Google, Meta, and OpenAI. He underscores the importance of continuous learning through bite-sized content and networking to stay ahead in this dynamic field. What steps can your business take to leverage the power of AI and contextual data? Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights from Irfan Khan and discover how SAP's innovative solutions can transform your data management and AI strategies. After listening, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the role of generative AI in your business and how you plan to practice better data hygiene for responsible AI use.